FEATURED FLEETS

ATA’s Safety Management Council Announces 2012 Award Recipients

ATA’s Safety Management Council announced its 2012 award winners at its Safety & Human Resources National Conference & Exhibition in Kansas City, Mo. last week.

The ATA President’s Trophy recognizes the three companies whose fleets have been judged to have the best overall safety programs from the Truck & Industrial Safety Contests. These Contests judge motor carriers from across the United States on their safety accomplishments and safety records relative to others within their operation type and size.  The top three ATA President’s Trophy recipients are honored for their superior safety achievements, outstanding commitment to industry-wide safety and extensive promotion of safety among all highway users.

2012 ATA President’s Trophy-Sponsored by: Great West Casualty Company

Large fleet winner (over 100 million miles annually)

Bison Transport US, Winnipeg, Canada

Mid-size fleet winner (between 25-100 million miles annually)

Cargo Transporters, Inc., Claremont, N.C.

Small fleet winner (under 25 million miles annually)

CLI Transport, LLC, Claysburg, Pa.

ATA National Driver of the Year-Sponsored by: Custard Insurance Adjusters

Ronald Fuller, Central Freight Lines, Dallas, Tex.

National Safety Director of the Year-Sponsored by: Great West Casualty Company

Bob Petrancosta, Con-way Freight, Ann Arbor, Mich.

National Safety Professional Award of Excellence-Sponsored by:Meritor WABCO

James Ransom, CDS, Director of Safety, Boyd Brothers Transportation, Inc., Clayton, Ala.

David Guess, CDS, Usher Transport, Louisville, Ky.

Tom DiSalvi, CDS, Schneider National Carriers, Green Bay, Wis.

Excellence in Safety-Sponsored by: Great West Casualty Company

Tennessee Trucking Association

Excellence in Human Resource Management-Sponsored by: eScreen

Covenant Transport, Chattanooga, Tenn.

ATA’s Safety Management Council is a national organization of transportation professionals involved in safety and human resources management for motor carriers and interested organizations. It aims to advance highway and workplace safety through programs, research, education, training, communication, and peer interaction. For more information, visit http://smc.truckline.com

Arkansas Carrier Announces Support of Federal Stability Control Rule

Steve Williams, chairman and CEO of Maverick USA, Inc. of Little Rock, Ark., announced his support today for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) proposed new federal motor vehicle safety standard to require Electronic Stability Control (ESC) systems on large commercial trucks, motorcoaches and other large buses for the first time ever.

“As a fleet owner who has experienced improvements in safety performance as a result of leveraging emerging technology we embrace NHTSA’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking mandating the use of stability control,” Williams said. “Without a doubt our investment in Roll Stability Control (RSC) has dramatically reduced rollover accidents within our fleet—just as we have seen dramatic reductions in rear end collisions which we attribute to both first and second generation collision avoidance systems.”

NHTSA estimates that a standard requiring ESC on the nation’s large trucks and large buses would prevent up to 2,329 crashes, eliminate an estimated 649 to 858 injuries and prevent between 49 and 60 fatalities a year.

Over the last three years, the cost of new equipment has risen over 35 percent. “Safety and environmental technologies have played a part in the dramatic increase in the cost of equipment but RSC and ESC systems really work,” Williams said. Even though a little more expensive than RSC systems, with sensors that monitor vehicle movement and steering, ESC can help further mitigate rollover incidents by using automatic computer-controlled braking, and also aid the driver in addressing severe understeer or oversteer conditions that can lead to loss of control.

Based in Little Rock, Arkansas and operating over 1,200 units, Maverick provides OTR and dedicated service to the flatbed, glass, and temperature controlled transportation markets throughout North America. To learn more visit their website at www.maverickusa.com

Covenant Transport Unveils $10K Annual Equity Bonus for HAZMAT Team Owner Operators

Covenant Transport today announced a new Owner Operator HAZMAT Team Equity Bonus that will offer an extra $10,000 per year to assist HAZMAT team owner operators in replacing equipment.

“Our company has decided that owner operators shouldn’t be in it all alone when it comes to paying to replace their tractors,” says Covenant Transport’s John Arthur Daniel, vice president for capacity development. “The $80,000 truck expenditure from just a few years ago has suddenly turned into a $120,000 expenditure and that hits owner operators hard. So we want to step up and help them out when it’s time for them to replace their equipment.”

Daniel explains that all HAZMAT owner operator teams who run at least 35 loads per quarter will now be eligible for a $2,500 per quarter bonus payout on an ongoing basis. “This is not a one-time payout,” he said. “Those who qualify will continue to receive the bonus for as long as they drive for Covenant.” Lease Purchase drivers will be eligible for the bonus after their trucks are paid out.

“We’ve always been known for providing our company drivers with one of the newest fleets in the business. But we care about all our drivers. We want to

position owner operators to do just as well-to be able to purchase reliable, efficient and late-model equipment for their deliveries,” says Daniel. “This helps our contractors and it benefits us, too. By seeing that our HAZMAT owner operator teams stay in good, solid equipment, we’re helping them be the best they can be, avoid CSA violations, and continue to provide our customers with the best service in the industry. Our goal is for everyone on the Covenant team to be a long-term success.”

For more information about a driving career at Covenant Transport, please visit us at www.covenantdrivers.com. For more information about engaging the services of Covenant Transport, please visit us at www.covenanttransport.com.

 

TripPak SERVICES® Announces Xerox Mobile Scanner for TripPak MOBILE™

TripPak SERVICES®, A Xerox Company, has announced the organization is now offering the Xerox Mobile Scanner for TripPak MOBILE™ users.  The scanner provides improved image quality for Android smart phone users.

Fleets and drivers interested in purchasing the scanner from TripPak SERVICES can find more information and order online at www.trippak.com.    

Detailed features of the new Xerox Mobile Scanner:

-With AutoLaunch technology, scanning begins as soon as documents are inserted into the scanner.

- Xerox Mobile Scanner can handle virtually any medium, including paper, plastic cards, business cards, receipts and photos.

-Can scan 300 pages before needing to recharge the battery.

-Talks to user’s PC, Android®, Mac®, iPhone®, iPad®, iPod® touch, or the cloud over Wi-Fi.

MICHELIN RENEWS SUPPORT FOR ‘BACK ON THE ROAD’ 2012

Michelin Americas Truck Tires (MATT) will continue to support Arrow Truck Sales’ “Back on the RoadTM Program” as a 2012 sponsor. The Back On The Road program provides one deserving truck driver with a truck and a job to get him or her back on the road — as well as many more prizes designed to keep the driver on the road.

“This program enables a fresh start to a driver’s career in the trucking industry, and Michelin is proud, once again, to play a part in getting someone back on the road in 2012,” said Jaye Young, country marketing manager for MATT. “It is very moving each year to see the hope and financial opportunity that this program offers the winner. With the winning combination of Michelin X One XDA Energy and XZA3+ EVERTREAD tires on the truck, the driver will recognize maximum long haul fuel savings.”
As a part of the sponsorship, MATT will donate MICHELIN® tires — including the XZA3®+ EVERTREAD™ steer tires and the X One® XDA® Energy drive tires — as well as the winning trucker will be enrolled in the MICHELIN® Advantage Program.

Small fleets and owner-operators can have a direct connection with Michelin by signing up at no cost for the MICHELIN Advantage Program at www.michelintruck.com. The program provides the same pricing on both MICHELIN tires and retreads, whether at home or on the road. Program members also have access to MICHELIN® ONCall™ emergency road service with no dispatch fee and to a variety of business tools.

“I can’t thank Michelin enough for sponsoring this program,” said David Acosta, Arrow’s 2011 Back on the Road winner. “I have found the Michelin X One tires to be extremely durable, they wear real well and last a lot longer than other tires. I hope that any hard-working driver who’s looking for a second chance considers applying this year.”

Each year, Back On The Road candidates are nominated via a 250-word essay submitted on the Back On The Road web site (www.arrowtruck.com/backontheroad). Nominations include, but are not limited to, truck drivers who have faced loss or unfortunate circumstances beyond their control or drivers who have selflessly advocated for the profession and the trucking industry in general.

The winner will be announced at the Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS) March 22-24, 2012, in Louisville, Ky. For more information or to learn more about previous winners, visit www.arrowtruck.com/backontheroad.

ACS, A Xerox Company, Announces 100% Image Guarantee for TripPak MOBILE™ Smart Phone Solution

Affiliated Computer Services, Inc. (ACS), A Xerox Company, has announced a 100 percent image guarantee for the company’s TripPak MOBILE™ smart phone solution. If a fleet is not 100 percent satisfied with the image quality of any transaction, the transaction fee will be waived.

TripPak MOBILE™ allows drivers the ability to capture trip documents for submission, update their trip status, and confirm pick-up and delivery with signature capture, all from the driver’s smart phone. This solution is the only smart phone application of its kind available on both the Apple iPhone and Android platforms.

“We have always been confident in the quality of our images, and with our 100 percent guarantee, fleets can also be confident that image quality will be perfect when drivers use TripPak MOBILE™,” said Kelley Walkup, division vice president and general manager for ACS. “This guarantee backs up what we’ve stood behind all along, but provides both drivers and fleets peace-of-mind knowing that every image is guaranteed.”

In addition to the TripPak MOBILE™ solution, which is the fastest growing document submission method in the industry for drivers, TripPak IN-CAB™ and TripPak TRUCK STOP SCANNING™ are available to drivers as other options for document submission methods that help increase cash flow for fleets and get drivers paid faster.

To find out more, visit www.trippak.com.

Share Your Knowledge

Training Tomorrow’s Drivers

Screen shot 2011-02-24 at 2.44.45 PM


Mentoring is a process in which knowledgeable individuals help others establish goals and develop the skills to reach them. Mentoring can help a newly-hired driver acquire skills, increase confidence, avoid errors, and otherwise enhance the driver’s career. Mentoring is not unlike the trainer-trainee relationship, but the context is less formal and the schedule is ongoing.

Fleets have been known to look at training as a finite process, conducted over a short period of time when a new driver is first hired.

Other fleets, or at least those that provide health benefits, look at their older drivers as a negative factor in their benefit costs. Both of these views ignore the obvious benefits that can be gained by establishing a mentoring program among a carrier’s drivers. An older, more experienced driver can pass along a lifetime’s learning to newer drivers, but it takes longer than the obligatory new-hire training periods can provide.

Mentoring isn’t just a one-way process. While older drivers may be experts in the day-to-day operation of a truck and trailer, today’s new drivers have grown up in a world of computers and technology, automation and instant communication. Concepts that seem new or foreign to the older driver are second nature to the younger driver, and vice versa.

Even if a fleet does not have a formal system in place to connect the mentor and mentee, individual drivers can seek out their own mentoring arrangements. If you’re a new-hire and you’ve just completed your fleet’s formal training process, ask around and strike up a conversation with a talkative older driver. If you’re an older, more experienced driver, look around for a rookie to take under your wing. Sure, some new-hires think they know everything, but there are as many or more that will value the knowledge you can pass along.

The primary goal is to have the trainee develop independent thinking skills. It’s important to strike a balance between coaching the new driver to find their own solutions and giving advice when it’s most needed.

Custom Made From Core Values

Kaiser Transport, Inc. Founder Turns Vision Into A High-End Fleet With An Impeccable Image

One man. One truck. One dream.

Todd Kaiser

Many fleets have started with a similar idea, but few have the foresight to make a business succeed. Then there are entrepreneurs like Todd Kaiser.

Todd’s interest in trucks started out in his middle teens. He had a passion for buying & selling Chevy pickups that he’d spent much of his free time tricking out. He was soon running the west coast with his friend and a used 379 Pete. He then drove dump trucks locally, and at 21 years old, started hauling cars for JATCO. Meanwhile, he started a real estate rental venture with his wife, Robbi, and used equity from that business to start Kaiser Transport, Inc. in April 1996.

Todd had a vision of a nationwide LTL step-deck trucking company that could provide the transportation needs of the machine and equipment shippers. Todd dreamed of building a company on the principles that he was raised with: hard work, dedication, fairness, honesty and trust. This foundation has been intertwined into the moral fiber of Kaiser, which has flourished and grown into a high-end freight hauler with an impeccable image across the country. Some of the most expensive freight in the country, delivered on beautiful equipment, on time, undamaged for an expensive rate, has been the focus. Kaiser Transport has generated a profit every year of its 14-year history while maintaining strong growth and holding to their core values.

For well over a decade, Todd has focused on superior service to the shippers, top of the line trucks and trailers; hiring experienced and professional drivers; having outstanding, hard working knowledgeable dispatchers and an excellent support staff at his terminals. Todd has never lost sight of the principles that he built his company on and will always provide that quality of service that his customers expect and deserve.

Kaiser Transport, Inc. takes pride in it fleet of late model, top of the line air-ride trucks. They run Peterbilt 379 and 389’s extended hood trucks, outfitted the with 18-speed transmissions as well as CAT and Cummins Engines  that provide reliable, fuel efficient, and environmentally safe power. The trucks are also equipped with a lot of extras (such as built in refrigerator, remote control CD, AM, FM radios, and air-ride seats) that provide our drivers with a safe and comfortable truck that they can take pride in driving.

The drivers choose the color of their trucks and are allowed to customize their trucks with chrome, lights and vinyl lettering. Kaiser maintains its fleet mechanically and cosmetically to provide a dependable and reliable means of freight transportation and an image that their customers and drivers deserve and expect. Kaiser replaces the equipment on a regular schedule to maintain the high quality of equipment that has become synonymous with their image.

Kaiser’s terminals are equipped with custom made “tarp spreaders” that keep the driver’s from climbing up unto the freight to open up the tarps. The tarp spreaders also keep the heavy rolled up tarps from being placed on top of the freight, which can cause damage. This special equipment is just another way that Kaiser provides the service that their customers expect and deserve. It also makes our driver’s job easier and safer – allowing them to stay on the ground to tarp the freight.

The loyalty that Todd generated is evident with the longevity of many of his employees, who are dedicated to the success of the company being a common goal. A group of Kaiser drivers have put together their own core called The  Posse , which allows professional truck drivers to come together as one to make a positive impact within the organization.  Their task is to unite drivers into a positive work ethic attitude to accomplish very difficult tasks and to move trucks and freight in a professional manner.

The Posse  works in harmony, teaches new drivers, and reinforces positive work ethics in veteran drivers.  They strive to be a successful and put a positive spirit in a company so that drivers will stay and grow.  They are also working towards better communication between drivers and management, so that issues on both sides can be addressed in a timely manner. This group is open to all drivers, which the Posse . hopes one day to have every driver, both over-the-road and local, become a member.  There are four teams currently in place within the Posse ., with each having a captain that members can go to with any problems.  This is something that everyone at Kaiser Transport, Inc. is excited about, and sees it doing great things for both drivers and management in the future.

Today, Kaiser has more than 60 trucks hauling LTL step-deck freight and double-drop freight to all 48 States and Canada. There is a terminal in Janesville, Wisconsin and Orange, California. Kaiser Transport, Inc. is still growing with  the additions of 11 new 2011 389 Pete’s with the new Cummins SCR technology.  and plans to open a new terminal in New Jersey.

To see if a career with Kaiser Transport may be custom made for you, call
866-214-1567 today.

ProTruckerOnline.com
\n